It is no secret that I love to eat seasonally and that I am a big fan and customer of my local farmer’s market. Last spring I showed you how to make this really nice dinner that showcases the bounty of spring. When you eat more seasonally it is fun to see now how much you really look forward to certain foods during the year. For example fresh English peas in the pod. These little beauties are like the heralds of spring. Just their very color is indicative of the season – beautiful spring green. I felt this meal was so invoking of Spring, that it was worth posting again, now that spring is in full flourish – and also because I really want to win some grassfed steaks!

We have been trying to eat as seasonally as possible for the past two years, which can be a challenge depending on where you live. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like we have been doing it for this long, because I am still learning more traditional cooking techniques and adding more and more real food to my kitchen repertoire. This past month for example, I have been eliminating processed sugar and white flour from our diet. When we move to Vermont in 2 weeks, these things will no longer have a place in my kitchen. This way of eating will always be a work in progress, but I feel the pluses completely outweigh the minuses, both in health and taste. That is one other thing I am looking forward to with our upcoming move – even more access to local and pasture raised meat and dairy foods!

As I have mentioned before, Roberto and I are very active people. We enjoy activities like archery, martial arts and weight lifting, among other things. With an increased activity lifestyle over the past year, it has come an increased need for good quality protein and food. I feel like this way of eating has given me not only increased physical energy, but also mental energy, and more balanced emotions.

I paired this beautiful grassfed skirt steak with local fingerling potatoes – another spring veggie. I really loved the combination of these three components – steak, potatoes and fresh English peas.

I also got some inspiration from my fresh herbs out on the porch. I have always wanted to make a chimmichuri sauce – its vibrant green color and fresh taste is very attractive to me on so many levels, and it just felt like it would go great with this meal.

Chimmichuri is typically made with fresh cilantro or parsley as the main herb, but I don’t have either of them growing. So I used what I did have – basil and oregano. I threw these herbs together with extra virgin olive oil, citrus champagne vinegar and a few other spices to make a fabulous tangy and herbal sauce for the steak.

I pan roasted the fingerling potatoes by throwing them in a large pan with olive oil, salt and pepper and cooking until they were browned on all sides. I then thew them in the oven at 425 F for 20 minutes, and tossed them with fresh chives when they came out of the oven. I sautéed the peas with olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic.

Jenn, this meal is absolutely beautiful! We have a new vendor at our local winter market (no spring veggies to speak of here yet) who is providing grass fed beef. I can’t wait to pick some up and make this!

Such a nice meal! I am really excited to see if and how your meals change when you move up to my neck of the woods – I agree you will have good access to meat and dairy but local produce year round, not so much I know you’re going to be so creative though and I look forward to seeing that!

Great post & gorgeous meal! I am always so impressed with your dedication to local eating–I try as much as I can here but it is hard sometimes! Great job on the processed sugar and white flour elimination too.

You have fresh basil already? Soooo jealous! I planted some a few weeks ago, but we’re a long way from being able to use it! That steak looks so great. I love grassfed beef – so superior to the stuff you can find in the groceries.

That kind of meal is just making me so jealous. We have about another month & a half until the spring vegetables are ready to eat. For now we are stuck with frozen. Eating seasonably is hard in these Northern climes.

All I can say is “WOW”! If you ever want to do a food demo with us let us know! Fabulous recipes

Leave a comment

Name :Required

Email :Required

Website :

Comment :

Thank you so much for all your comments. I enjoy reading each and every single one of them. Please keep them coming because I do appreciate the feedback and I apologize that I can't respond to everyone individially. See you in the blogosphere!